How to Store Pot Lids for a More Efficient Kitchen

Pot lids are one of the most challenging kitchen items to store. If you stack or hang your pots, your lids have to be stashed separately, but still be easily accessible. They're all different sizes and don't stand upright on their own—and they take up too much valuable cabinet space when lying flat. Their knobs make stacking them impossible. And you don't really want to store them on top of their matching pots because that could trap residual moisture inside.

So what are your choices for pot lid storage? If the lids have a handle with a loop you might be able to rig up a hanging S-hook situation. If the lids have loop-less knobs, you can buy a special wall-mounted lid rack or order yourself an in-cabinet lid sorter.

Or you can just use a mail sorter and call it a day.

When tucked into a kitchen cabinet or on a shelf, a three-slot metal mail sorter (you know, like the one sitting by your door holding that rent bill you "keep forgetting to pay") takes up barely any space but can keep pot lids of varying sizes upright and orderly so you don't have to fumble around with them when fishing out a pan to make dinner.

Have an extra mail sorter lying around? Great—give it a try and see if it works with your pot lids. If not, here are a few things to consider before buying one:

1. The best mail sorters to use have dividers of graduated height

A mail sorter like this one, with partitions that increase in height, will better store pot lids of different sizes.

2. Check the depth of your pot lids.

You'll need to find a mail sorter with slots that can accommodate your largest lid, so measure the depth of that lid (excluding the handle). The handle is inconsequential since it will likely sit higher than the sorter's partition.

3. Choose a sorter that has a little weight at the base.

Pot lids are heavy and if the sorter is too light, the whole thing could topple over. You can avoid the issue even further by opting for a metal mesh mail sorter (such as this one) and resting it against the interior wall of the cabinet. (Or, if you really want to make sure it doesn't move around, you can always screw it into place by drilling a flat-head screw into each of the sorter's four corners.)

4. Make sure you have enough slots for all of your pot lids

If you have more than 3 lids, you're probably going to need more than one sorter. (Or, maybe it's time to downsize?) Grab a second sorter to place on the other side of the cabinet.

5. Play with the right arrangement for your specific pot lids.

Once you have your sorter, you may need to play around to find the right set-up for your lids. If your lids have bulbous domes, try arranging them so the handles face backwards instead of jutting out.

6. Uh...don't forget to pay that rent bill.

Now that your pot lids are all stored in your mail sorter, you're gonna wanna to stay on top of that.